US7239438B2ExpiredUtilityA1

Variable focal length lens and lens array comprising discretely controlled micromirrors

82
Assignee: STEREO DISPLAY INCPriority: Jul 16, 2004Filed: Jul 16, 2004Granted: Jul 3, 2007
Est. expiryJul 16, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Gyoung Il ChoCheong Soo SeoTae Hyeon KimDong Woo Gim
G02B 26/0825G02B 26/0866G02B 5/09G02B 3/14G02B 26/0841G02B 26/08G02B 26/00
82
PatentIndex Score
20
Cited by
14
References
81
Claims

Abstract

A discretely controlled micromirror array lens (DCMAL) consists of many discretely controlled micromirrors (DCMs) and actuating components. The actuating components control the positions of DCMs electrostatically. The optical efficiency of the DCMAL is increased by locating a mechanical structure upholding DCMs and the actuating components under DCMs to increase an effective reflective area. The known microelectronics technologies can remove the loss in effective reflective area due to electrode pads and wires. The lens can correct aberrations by controlling DCMs independently. Independent control of each DCM is possible by known microelectronics technologies. The DCM array can also form a lens with arbitrary shape and/or size, or a lens array comprising the lenses with arbitrary shape and/or size.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A variable focal length lens comprising a plurality of Variably Supported Discretely Controlled Micromirrors (VSDCMs), wherein the VSDCM comprises
 a) a substrate; 
 b) a micromirror; and 
 c) a plurality of variable supports that are placed between the micromirror and the substrate, wherein at least one of the variable supports is controlled to change height of the variable support; 
 wherein the controlled variable supports determine the position of the micromirror and wherein the micromirror rests on the controlled variable supports. 
 
   
   
     2. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the variable supports are located under the micromirror. 
   
   
     3. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein each of the variable supports is controlled to change its height whereby the position of the micromirror is controlled. 
   
   
     4. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     5. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the translation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     6. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the rotation and translation of the VSDCM are controlled. 
   
   
     7. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein two degrees of freedom rotation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     8. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein two degrees of freedom rotation and one degree of freedom translation of the VSDCM are controlled. 
   
   
     9. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDcMs are controlled independently. 
   
   
     10. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCM is actuated by electrostatic force. 
   
   
     11. The variable focal length lens of claim  1 , wherein the VSDcMs are arranged to form one or more concentric circles to form the lens. 
   
   
     12. The variable focal length lens of  claim 11 , wherein the VSDCMs on same concentric circles are controlled by the same electrodes. 
   
   
     13. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein a control circuitry is provided under the micromirrors, wherein the control circuitry is made with microelectronics fabrication technologies. 
   
   
     14. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface of the VSDCM is substantially flat. 
   
   
     15. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface of the VSDCM has a curvature. 
   
   
     16. The variable focal length lens of  claim 15 , wherein curvature of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     17. The variable focal length lens of  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the VSDCM is controlled by electrothermal force. 
   
   
     18. The variable focal length lens of  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the VSDCM is controlled by electrostatic force. 
   
   
     19. The variable focal length lens of claim  1 , wherein the VSDCM has a fan shape. 
   
   
     20. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCM has a hexagonal shape. 
   
   
     21. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCM has a rectangular shape. 
   
   
     22. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCM has a square shape. 
   
   
     23. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCM has a triangular shape. 
   
   
     24. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens has an arbitrary size and/or shape. 
   
   
     25. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein all the VSDcMs are arranged in a flat plane. 
   
   
     26. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the surface material of the VSDCM is the one with high reflectivity. 
   
   
     27. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the surface material of the VSDCM is metal. 
   
   
     28. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the surface material of the VSDCM is metal compound. 
   
   
     29. The variable focal length lens of claim  1 , wherein the surface of the VSDCM is made by multi-layered dielectric coating. 
   
   
     30. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein a mechanical structure upholding the micromirror and actuating components are located under the micromirror. 
   
   
     31. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens compensates for phase errors of light due to the medium between an object and its image. 
   
   
     32. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens corrects aberrations. 
   
   
     33. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens corrects the defects of an imaging system that cause the image to deviate from the rules of paraxial imagery. 
   
   
     34. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for each wavelength of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB), respectively, to get a color image. 
   
   
     35. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for one wavelength among Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) to get a color image. 
   
   
     36. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the same phase condition for color imaging is satisfied by using the least common multiple of wavelengths of Red, Green, and Blue lights as an effective wavelength for the phase condition. 
   
   
     37. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein an object which does not lie on the optical axis can be imaged by the lens without macroscopic mechanical movement. 
   
   
     38. An array of the variable focal length lenses, wherein each of the variable focal length lens comprises a plurality of Variably Supported Discretely Controlled Micromirrors (VSDCMs), wherein the VSDCM comprises
 a) a substrate; 
 b) a micromirror; and 
 c) a plurality of variable supports that are placed between the micromirror and the substrate, wherein at least one of the variable supports is controlled to change height of the variable support; 
 wherein the controlled variable supports determine the position of the micromirror and wherein the micromirror rests on the controlled variable supports. 
 
   
   
     39. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein each variable focal length lens has independent focal length variation. 
   
   
     40. the array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the rotation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     41. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the translation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     42. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the rotation and translation of the VSDCM are controlled. 
   
   
     43. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein two degrees of freedom rotation of the VSDCM is controlled. 
   
   
     44. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein two degrees of freedom rotation and one degree of freedom translation of the VSDCM are controlled. 
   
   
     45. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDcMs are controlled. 
   
   
     46. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDcMs are actuated by electrostatic force. 
   
   
     47. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein a control circuitry is provided under the micromirrors, wherein the control circuitry is made with microelectronics fabrication technologies. 
   
   
     48. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the reflective surface of the VSDCM is substantially flat. 
   
   
     49. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the reflective surface of the VSDCM has a curvature. 
   
   
     50. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the curvatures of the VSDCMs are controlled. 
   
   
     51. The array of the lenses of  claim 50 , wherein the curvature of the VSDCM are controlled by electrothermal force. 
   
   
     52. The array of the lenses of  claim 50 , wherein the curvatures of the VSDCMs are controlled by electrostatic force. 
   
   
     53. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCM has a fan shape. 
   
   
     54. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCM has a hexagonal shape. 
   
   
     55. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCM has a rectangular shape. 
   
   
     56. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCM has a square shape. 
   
   
     57. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCM has a triangular shape. 
   
   
     58. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens has arbitrary shape and/or size. 
   
   
     59. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDCMs are controlled to change the focal length of each lens of the lens array. 
   
   
     60. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein all the VSDcMs are arranged in a flat plane. 
   
   
     61. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the VSDcMs are arranged to form one or more concentric circles to form a lens. 
   
   
     62. The array of the lenses of  claim 61 , wherein the VSDcMs on the same concentric circles are controlled by the same electrodes. 
   
   
     63. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the surface material of the VSDcMs is the one with high reflectivity. 
   
   
     64. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the surface material of the VSDCM is metal. 
   
   
     65. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the surface material of the VSDCM is metal compound. 
   
   
     66. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the surface of the VSDCM is made by multi-layered dielectric coating. 
   
   
     67. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein a mechanical structure upholding the VSDcMs and actuating components are located under the VSDCMs. 
   
   
     68. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens compensates for phase errors of light due to the medium between an object and its image. 
   
   
     69. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens corrects aberrations. 
   
   
     70. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein the lens corrects the defects of an imaging system that cause the image to deviate from the rules of paraxial imagery. 
   
   
     71. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is an adaptive optical component, wherein an object which does not lie on the optical axis can be imaged by the lens without macroscopic mechanical movement. 
   
   
     72. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for each wavelength of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB), respectively, to get a color image. 
   
   
     73. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the lens is controlled to satisfy the same phase condition for one wavelength among Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) to get a color image. 
   
   
     74. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein the same phase condition for color imaging is satisfied by using the least common multiple of wavelengths of Red, Green, and Blue lights as an effective wavelength for the phase condition. 
   
   
     75. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the VSDCMs are controlled to change the focal length of the lens and to satisfy the same phase condition for the lights. 
   
   
     76. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the lens changes the focal length and corrects aberrations. 
   
   
     77. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the variable supports are controlled by electrostatic force. 
   
   
     78. The variable focal length lens of  claim 76 , wherein the electrostatic force is controlled by digital and/or discrete operation of a voltage. 
   
   
     79. The variable focal length lens of  claim 1 , wherein the micromirrors rest on the controlled variable support by attractive force. 
   
   
     80. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein each lens in the array is controlled independently. 
   
   
     81. The array of the lenses of  claim 38 , wherein each lens in the array is independently controlled to change the optical axis.

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